My laser level isnt level
Its a 360°Rotary 3D 12 Lines Green Laser Level Self Leveling Cross Measure Tool 3D-12
I think there is a pendulum in it which detects level, but its about 10 degrees wrong.
Apart from bashing it to unstick it is there anything else I could try?
Its been outside in my shed so could it have got condensation?
it is this one:
the power switch on mine has three positions
off,
on, but pendulum locked (the laser flashes every few seconds to let you know)
on, with pendulum unlocked (the laser is constant unless you tip it too far off level that the pendulum can't cope).
According to the spec. the autoleveling is only capable of coping with
+/- 3 degrees (!!!) I guess you get what you pay for!
That is true of most - I think my Bosch Pro one can only cope with about
4 degrees. So you level it mostly by eye, and it takes care of the rest.
do you use the rise and fall method or height of collimation?.....tee hee
Yes, many of the well known brands selling for many hundreds have a range of +/-4 degrees. One of the Makita units goes to +/- 6 degrees but that cost £800+
Looking in as I've always expected some problem like this to emerge with my 50 yearold Sokkisha B2 auto level. Purely optical, no electronics, I use about twice year. Preceeded by a calibration check between a couple of Ordnance Survey centi-foot levelled even older benchmarks , to 3mm per 100m , much the resolution of the brick cutmarks. The only electrics is a metal plate associated with the pendulum and coils either side to induce damping forces to quickly damp movement caused oscillations in the pendulum .
Assuming the problem is condensation/biofilm. I would activate a few sachets of silica gel in an oven for an hour, and place in a sealed polythene bag with the level for a few days. If no improvement then convert an engraving tool by fashioning a nylon bolt to fit in place of the steel engraving bit and initially on low setting , vibrate the unit. Ramping up the vibrations and trying again if no change. I think the pendulum damping process is diamagnatism with copper/aluminium? plate and coils, but could your unit have been stored next to a powerfull magnet?
I assume the canted-over plane of rotation is always oriented the same relative to a side of the unit, every time it is powered up .
On the rare occasions I've needed one I use my grandfather's Cowley. Still works. Even though EBay lists them under "collectables"!
Andy
I thought that was a car!
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